Correspondence



207



Ono bird was sitting on a bough and had been resting there for

several minutes, the other hopping along the ground. The latter then

flew up and clung to the wire dividing the compartment from

the next one, holding there for about half a minute, during which

time the one on the bough was still. The bird on the bough then opened

its beak wide and began at once to shake its plumage rapidly all over,

keeping up such shaking for about thirty seconds, and when it was about

half-way through this performance the bird on the wire flew down and

put its beak inside the other bird’s beak. After this the birds remained

so for about fifteen seconds, the one shaking as previously described,

but the bird which approached did not do so, nor display any extra¬

ordinary emotion. Was the bird which shook the male ? There was

nothing carried that I could see in the beak of the approaching bird, and

although I watched for the next hour there was no further placing

of beaks within one another, although the bird (which had originally

been hunting along the ground) returned and kept picking up bits of

food thrown in by visitors, some of which it swallowed. Neither was

there any more shaking of plumage and such like during next day when

I watched them. Was the above a “ courting display ” ? If male and

female, the sexes were equal in size and showed no difference in plumage

that I could see.


The yellow iris showed up markedly against the black beak, head,

upper breast, and neck, while a bright blue patch above each eye and

also at back of neck made the birds more attractive ; the back and

wings having a dark metallic blue shade, as also the tail with white tip.

When the bird shook these parts showed more brightly. As a contrast

to these darker parts the white lower breast, abdomen, and vent showed

up prominently. When cracking nuts they held these firmly with both

feet close together, and split them by pecks from beak's point, much

like the Nutcracker ( Nucifraga).


Frederick D. Welch.


[The habit of interlocking beaks appears to be characteristic of the

Corvidae. I recently watched a pair of Ravens so engaged for a con¬

siderable time, the bill of the male inserted in that of his mate. They

are a most affectionate pair of birds and were evidently love-making.—

D. S.-S.]



